Let's relaunch this Huh?

 So what's gong on Blogger?  Been awhile hasn't it?

Let's say we relaunch this blog huh?  Maybe even combine it with a YouTube channel and really have some fun.

So Tuesday, I did a Day in the Life video of running the scoreboard for a USD women's basketball game (oh yeah, since I last blogged, I've been picked up to help on the Toreros game day management crew).

Started the day by running some numbers to see who had a good chance of winning the NHL games (kinda got into some sports wagering on a website that you don't use real money).  Turned out that there were a few games that really had some advantages, so I placed some wagers.

Around 11, I left the house and went to USD.  Stopped off at 7-Eleven to get a Pepsi and a Kit Kat (since I didn't have anything before leaving the house).  Got to USD about 11:45, needed to start the pregame clock at Noon.

Had to park in the lower parking garage and walked up.  Didn't have my mask on as there was no one within six feet of me so I was all clear.  Once I walked in, I put on my mask and got my temp taken.  Walked onto "The Slim Gym" Jenny Craig Pavilion's floor.  With the Covid-19 setup, you have the Shot Clock, Game Clock/Scoreboard, Official book and the Instant Replay system on the table right at courtside.  On the riser that is located roughly where the expandable "lower" bowl would be is Stats, Photographer, Announcer and music.  On the other side of the court is the play-by-play spot.  Everyone that is working the spots I just mentioned is "Tier 2".  Coaches, players and the Sports Information Directors are all in "Tier 1".  Tier 1 can go pretty much anywhere they want.  Tier 2 can only go to Tiers 2 & 3.  "Tier 3" is the camera operators and anyone up in the control room.

So, I get inside and see the head of marketing for USD, the one and only Robbie Hill.  Robbie is really cool and has a bunch of passion for USD since he went there (and his Dad is the head baseball coach).  Side note on Robbie, he is a professional trumpet player and does a great National Anthem.

Went over to the scores table and double checked some of the settings (minor things that the shot clock guy likes to have checked like making sure that the shot clock doesn't show tenths of a second).  I started the pregame 60 minute clock about 45 seconds late, but since the game was starting at 1p and wasn't on National TV, it didn't really matter.

About five minutes into the pregame, I found out that the guy that was scheduled to work the scorebook was going to be running late as he was getting his first Covid shot.  I was asked, and was going to do it anyway, to get the scratches from both teams and get the names into the book.  Simple enough, got it taken care of in about 10 minutes, but was interrupted by the referee coming over to the table and having the pregame talk with everyone at the table.  We go over the simple things and ask some questions on things that are odd and don't happen very often.

About 15 minutes before tip, the scorebook got to the table and I let him know that the book was all filled out and starters were about to be inputted by the coaches.  The coaches (usually the second assistant coach) have until 10 minutes before the game to get their starters in the book and initial that everyone in the book is correct.  This way, should it happen that a team puts a player into the game that wasn't listed in the book, the referees can say "Hey, you initialed" before assigning a technical foul.  In addition to that, for some reason the play-by-play guy hadn't shown up yet.  So, the PA Announcer was flipped over to the p-b-p seat and the SID filled in on PA Announcing.  If I was in a different seat (shot clock) I probably could've done it, but not when I was on the big clock.

The Toreros had a really good start as they led at one point 16-4.  They ended up finishing the quarter up 22-13.  They also closed out the game with a good fourth quarter with 19 points.  In the bookend quarters they scored 41 points....the problem was they only scored 15 in the second and third quarters combined.  They ended up losing to St. Mary's College 63-56.  SMC coming into the game was 4-10!

After the game, my friend Callan (originally scheduled to do PA, ended up on p-b-p) and I went down the hill to Round Table for some pizza and a beer (after that game, we needed one!).  We caught up with each other as we hadn't hung out (gee thanks Covid) since early December.  I took him back to his house and went down to PB.

On the way down to PB I got a sudden need to go to the bathroom.  I ended up going in a porta potty at the foot of Fiesta Island.  Then made my way over to PB to get gas.  After that I came home.  On the way home my beloved Colorado Avalanche were playing San Chokse in Denver.  I turned into the game on XM and listened to the Great Conor McGahey.  Once there was a commercial break after I pulled into the driveway, I came inside and watched the rest of the game on NHL.TV.  Avs would win 7-3!

After the game, I started editing the video and posted it overnight as I slept.

So I'll come back tonight after the Toreros and the #1 Gonzaga Bulldogs are on the court tonight.  It isn't on National TV (shocking!) so if you watch on WCC Network (Look on Facebook) you'll see me at center court again running the big clock and scoreboard again.  Tip is at 6p.

Can you tell the truth?

Well, on Sunday I will find out if someone can. I say this because I'm heading back up to Hollywood to watch a taping for "The Moment of Truth". I'm not going with the same group (entirely) as I did on Monday. This time the group will be Mary O., Julie O., mom and myself. This time we are also makeing a pitstop at Del Mar so that I may recieve from the fine folks at DMTC a pair of beer glasses.

More on Monday....

well that was an interesting day

So we (Mom, Dad and (obviously) me) got up and left the house for the adventure that was my birthday. We went to Sonic in Fullerton to grab some lunch and then over to Croakers in Garden Grove. While at the dance, I was presented a cool cake from everyone (thanks Jesse and Cheryl for purchasing it). On the cake was a baseball diamond and all the candles...including sparkling candles which none of my b-day cakes have ever had. Also there was a NASCAR candle that kept playing a sound of cars passing at high speed. Of course by the time that the cake came out, Dad was in the car, because as we all know, if he isn't having fun, he is not going to be hanging out.

So after the dance, the May's, Davis', Carpenter's and CJ all made our way over to Lake Elsinore to watch the Storm do battle against the Quakes. With CJ being the only Quakes fan in our group, he was very passionate in favor for his Quakes. The problem with this, is that Thunder (the Storms main mascot) heard CJ and CJ then became Thunder's target. Before the game, while I was attmpting to get some broken bat knobs for the hat rack that I'm trying to make, Thunder left the group sitting 10 rows from the field, and went down to talk to his helper on the field. At this point, I was thinking, Oh boy, CJ, you are going to get hit be some silly string by the end of the night. The helper went into the clubhouse and grabed a bottle of silly string. She came back out and handed it to Thunder who tryied to hide the bottle of silly string. He meandered back up near CJ and the gang, and then he sprayed him with nearly half to all of hte can on CJ.

During the ninth inning of the game (in which the Storm ended up losing 5-0) CJ, Amanda, Elizabeth C., Eric and myself all went up to the the Storm radio booth to see and talk to Sean McCall. Amanda, Elizabeth and Eric all got something from Sean (Eric a friesbe, Amanda & Elizabeth both got MLB baseball's)...Thanks Sean, you are the coolest!!!!

Tomorrow, look out Hollywood, I'm coming up to be apart of the audience for "Are you smarter than a 5th grader?"

Wow, work on Sunday :0

So greetings from work, a rare Sunday night/Monday morning shift. I'm just filling in for the weekday guy, but an extra 8 hrs on the time sheet always looks good.

While I'm here at work, I have contacted several friends to see what they are doing tomorrow night, and as it turns out they will be joining me for Nothing Night at the Lake Elsinore Storm. Nothing Night is when the Storm do nothing but play ball. No Anthem, No tickets, No concessions, basically just the ball game, not even a Public Address Announcer. It should be kinda cool and quiet. Zach, CJ, myself and hopefully Katie will all be going.

So I shall take the camera and get many pictures so that I can put some up.

Later.

What a day

Greetings to all in Internet land.

This has been a very interesting day. As usual, I worked the overnight last night, and therefore "got off" at 5:00 am (didn't leave the office until 5:30). So I got home around 6 and got to sleep. I woke up thanks mom at 12:15 and did the normal moring routine (shower, shave, etc). I then went out to the car and cleaned out the front seat.

After making sure that everything was good to go, I went back into the house to put on my shirt (I had on an undershirt) and out my shoes on. I went over to Sarah's house and picked here up as she was teh reason for the trip. She had a coupon for a purse store that you will hear about later on. As we were beginning our journey to the O.C. we called Matt to see if he would like to join us. As it turns out he did want to join us, so we swung by his house and picked him up.

Our first stop was, brace yourself, Sonic in Fullerton for lunch. After lunch we went over to South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa. That was a culture shock for me as I have never been in, let alone heard of, at least half of the stores in the second largest mall in the US. I went into the Porsche Design store, and was floored with some of the prices (an all leather laptop bag - $575, a key-chain $185). I did end up buying a CD at the USC spirit store. I almost bought a $150 shirt for only $40.

The ride home was interesting as I waa talking to my good friend Tom about what Matt bought. Keep in mind that Tom & Matt were roommates at one point. Matt took his fandom of the USC Trojans to the next level today. He bought of all things, a toothbrush with the USC logo on it. Yikes!!!!!!